


5 People that knew Mario and Angus belonged together long before they did – and the moment Angus finally realized as well

by Destiel



Category: Code Black (TV)
Genre: 5 Times, Falling In Love, M/M, Oblivious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-15 08:24:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11227107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Destiel/pseuds/Destiel
Summary: I think the title speaks for itself. It's like 5 drabbles (or rather 6) combined to 1 big story, about 5 people watching Mario and Angus and realizing what's going on between them before they do themselves! :-) (See end for more notes)





	5 People that knew Mario and Angus belonged together long before they did – and the moment Angus finally realized as well

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nea/gifts).



** 5 People that knew Mario and Angus belonged together long before they did – and the moment Angus finally realized as well **

****

 

**1\. Jesse Sallander**

 

Jesse wasn’t called “Mama” for no reason. He hadn’t joked when he had told Mario and Angus – amongst the other first year residents that had entered the hospital alongside them – that he knew everything going on at Angels Memorial. That included personal relationships.

 

He was very observant and paid a lot of attention to the way people treated each other. He had felt a connection between Mario and Angus from day one, even though he hadn’t been completely sure where their relationship was going. They could have become archenemies if Mario had went on acting like an idiot.

 

Jesse had known right away that no matter how much Mario tried to tell himself – and everyone else – that he didn’t need anyone, he had been very lonely. He had had built up a wall around himself to protect himself for a probably very long time. Angus hadn’t given up on him, though. Angus had managed to tear down that wall stone by stone, had made Mario open up to him in ways not even Jesse could have imagined.

 

He had wanted to check up on Mario after his father had died, because he had disappeared suddenly. Not that Jesse could blame him. He wasn’t blind. Even though Mario had tried to hide it with his smart mouth, Jesse had noticed how much seeing his father again had hurt him, how much it had eaten on Mario. Within just a few short moments this guy – Vincent Savetti – had taken away most of Mario’s self-esteem, had made him start doubting himself, start doubting whether or not he even belonged at Angels Memorial. And then he had died without Mario being able to deal with all these pent-up emotions.

 

Jesse had been worried about him, had wanted to be there for him. He had found him down at the morgue, crying in Angus’s arms. The way Mario had clung to his best friend, letting go of his grief and just leaning onto him, had been as painful as it had been beautiful. Jesse was sure Angus was the only one that could have gotten through to Mario that way. He probably always would be.

 

Mario was a very complicated human being, but somehow Angus seemed to be more than capable to deal with everything Mario threw at him. And not walk away in the process. Something had just clickend between those two. They completed each other in a way Jesse hadn’t seen often. They were so much more than just best friends, but somehow they weren’t able to realize that. Not yet.

 

Two years. It had been two years since Jesse had first met them, and they had come such a long way. Some day – Jesse knew – everything would fall into place. Some day they would finally realize what had been right in front of their eyes all this time. When they were ready for it. And Jesse would finally be able to say that words that had been on his mind for a long time: “I knew it.” Because he had. And then he would hug them and he would be as happy for them as they were with each other. Because he was their “Mama” after all.

 

**2\. Mike Leighton**

 

From the moment Angus had first complained to him about one Mario Savetti Mike had known this guy was special to his brother. Little had he known back then just _how_ special. Mike had recognized from the start, though, that Angus had liked this guy. More than he wanted to. And it had pissed his little brother off. It wasn’t like anything Mario had done really justified the fact that Angus had wanted to be his friend. Quite the opposite.

 

Even though Mike had not been there since right from the start – hadn’t seen what had really been going on between them – Angus had told him enough to know that Mario had tried to push his brother away and out of his life any chance he had gotten. Had Mario known Angus back then, he would have known that was not going to happen. If Angus liked someone – for whatever reason – he liked them. He was not one to just give up on them, to walk out on them, when they hit a bump in the road. Unless that someone did something _really_ bad. But probably not even then.

 

Angus was a very forgiving person, with the biggest heart Mike could ever imagine. There was no way Angus would have stopped being friends with Mario, even though Mario hadn’t made it easy on him. Especially in the beginning. But at some point things had changed between them.

 

Mike remembered the phone call he had gotten from Angus one morning. He had taken out Mario for beers after an exhausting shift and hadn’t been able to stop talking about it. He had chosen Mario over Malaya and Christa, and maybe that had made all the difference. Maybe that had been the turning point in their relationship.

 

Mike had been able to watch them grow closer and closer once he had become the resident director at Angels Memorial, and he had been glad Angus had finally found a real friend. If it hadn’t been for Mario, things could have gotten much worse for his little brother once he had started taking those Aderol pills like gummy bears. Mike hadn’t even realized how much Angus had been suffering, how the guilt about letting that asshole die had eaten on him. He had seen a change in his behaviour, yes, but he had been too blind to see what was happening. Mario hadn’t. Mario had been a real friend in this situation, and he hadn’t even known the truth – and maybe he still didn’t. Yet, he had been willing to deal with the consequences of betraying Angus’s trust by coming to Mike.

 

From this moment on Mike had known that Mario was trusthworthy. That he cared about his brother. Probably more than they both realized. Mario hadn’t visited Angus during his stay in rehab, but he had asked Mike about him every single day. He had wanted to know about Angus’s progress and if there was anything he could do to help him. Mike had told Angus and found out this way that the reason Mario wasn’t coming to see him was most likely because it would bring back painful memories. Memories he didn’t want to deal with. Mike could tell that they missed each other, though. More than friends would.

 

The realisation had hit him at Angus’s Welcome-Back-Party. He had watched the two of them together. They had barely been able to keep their eyes off each other. They had laughed together and were in each other’s personal space almost non-stop. And when they weren’t, they were at least in each other’s visual range.

 

Mike had asked Angus that night if there was something going on between him and Mario, but Angus had laughed it off, telling him he was crazy, seeing things that weren’t there and that they had just missed each other. And Mike had accepted his answer, because he had known Angus hadn’t been ready to face his own feelings. He still wasn’t. But one day he would be, and then he would make sure Angus knew that he supported him, no matter what, and that he always would. Because he was his brother and he loved him. They would be okay.

 

**3\. Leanne Rorish**

 

Leanne Rorish loved Angels Memorial. And the people working at Angels Memorial. Her people. Her family. Mario Savetti and Angus Leighton were part of that family since they took their first steps up that stairway that led them inside the hospital.

 

They were special. Both of them in their own way. She had seen something in them from the moment she had laid eyes on them. She hadn’t been sure Mario Savetti would get his head out of his ass enough to become a great doctor, though. He had been a lone wolf, or had tried to be, keeping to his own, barely talking to anyone, never joining the others for lunch or anything else. That was until Angus Leighton had made it his mission to become friends with him – for whatever reason.

 

That friendship had changed Mario. It had humbled him. Leanne would even go as far as saying that Angus had made Mario a better person.

 

She couldn’t help but smile at the memory of them both approaching her after the whole situation with Rollie Gauthry had blown up in their faces. They had come to her to own up to the fact that they had known about his illness for just as long as Malaya and Jesse had, both willing to sacrifice their jobs to do the right thing. Leanne had known that Angus had been behind the confession, that he had made Mario come along, but Mario could easily have said no. And risked a fight with Angus – something Mario barely was willing to do these days. Angus had managed to change Mario in a way Leanne hadn’t thought was possible.

 

Sometimes she watched them work together, watched how far they had come. They both were willing to listen to each other when it came to medical cases and find the right solution to help their patients in the best possible way. They had become better doctors because of it. They were so much stronger together and most of the time they knew that.

 

It was one of the reasons Leanne had finally decided to give the job as Assistant team doctor to Noa Keen. Not because she was better than Mario and Angus, but because she knew giving the job to Mario or Angus would only have caused problems between them. It already had before she had made up her mind.

 

Ever since the moment that job was on the table there had been tension between Mario and Angus. Had Leanne given the job to Angus, Mario would most likely always have held a grudge against him because of it. He probably would have thought Leanne had given the job to him as a favour to Desmond – whether it was true or not. In the long run it would have hurt their relationship, and that was a sacrifice Leanne wasn’t willing to make. Not at the cost of those two.

 

They needed each other – whether they were willing to admit it or not. In a way they probably both didn’t see yet, or were willing to own up to. Leanne _did_ , though. She could see it in Angus Leighton’s eyes whenever Mario did something noble. The pride, the joy, the happiness.

 

She recognized it in the way Angus’s fingers were stroking Mario’s forearm when he sat on the bed with him after they had beat that damn deadly virus outbreak, so gentle, almost careful, as if he was scared to break him. She had noticed how distraught Angus had been the whole time, even though he had done his best not to let anyone else see it. There were feelings between them, deep feelings, a strong bond they didn’t fully understand yet. Who was Leanne to drive a wedge between them with a job neither of them _really_ cared about?

 

She knew she had made the right decision, and at some point she would probably even see the result of it. Once Mario and Angus were ready to take the next step in their relationship. And she would stand at the sidelines and be happy for them. She was their ‘Daddy’ after all.

 

**4\. Malaya Pineda**

 

Angus Leighton had been Malaya’s best friend since day one. Malaya had realized what a great guy he was pretty quickly and felt a connection to him. She had known he was special ever since he had smiled at her for the first time. There had been so much warmth and softness in his eyes that – hadn’t she been a lesbian – she knew she could have fallen for him. Angus was a real catch, whether he saw it himself or not. Which was probably his biggest problem. That he had almost zero self-esteem, no matter how often Malaya told him that he was a great guy.

 

Malaya owed Angus her life. The day Gordon Heshman attacked her she knew how close she had come to dying. If it wasn’t for Angus – sweet, wonderful Angus – who had come after her to bring her her mobile phone, she probably wouldn’t be here anymore. She would have been killed just like Gina had been. But she was still alive. And she was thankful to Angus for it every single day.

 

Which was why she swore to herself, should the day ever come he or Mario – or preferably both of them – would finally man up to their feelings for each other, she would support them in every way possible.

 

She had known they were in love with each other for a long time, had probably felt it since the evening Angus had decided to take Mario out for beers instead of hanging out with her and Christa. She remembered how surprised she had been, how she hadn’t understood how Angus had even been willing to still talk to that guy, after everything he had done to him. That evening Christa had said something that stuck with her until this day. ‘Love comes in many different shapes and colors.’

 

Malaya hadn’t understood it right away, but the more she had watched them, the more she had realized what Christa had meant. She had seen the invisible attraction, had noticed how they were pulled towards each other – more each day. It was amazing how they always found a way back to each other, no matter how bad they fought sometimes. It was like they couldn’t live without each other. Which was probably not too far off the truth.

 

Malaya had seen the fear in Angus’s eyes once she and Mario were diagnosed with that virus. A virus that could have killed them. She had noticed that it had taken everything for Angus not to fall apart in that moment. To be strong for them. But he had managed to be their rock – like he had always been – had managed to reassure them that they would be fine eventually, despite how terrified he was himself. He had been right, though, they had survived, and they were all going to be okay.

 

Malaya was still a little weak, they all were, but she couldn’t help but watch what was happening right there in front of her eyes. Angus had just left Mario’s room when Noa Keen had walked in. Malaya had no idea what they were talking about but right before Noa turned around and left the room again she and Mario kissed. Briefly, but it was still a kiss.

 

Malaya knew this could only end in disaster, because eventually Mario would realize that she wasn’t who he really wanted. That he had fooled himself the whole time he had been with her. She felt sorry for Noa, felt sorry that she was pulled into Mario’s and Angus’s yet unwritten lovestory.

 

So Malaya made a promise to herself in that moment: she would make sure Noa was going to be okay. She would make sure telling her that it wasn’t her, that there just was no way any woman would have ever come in between Mario and Angus. That their story had began long before she had walked into Mario’s life. Malaya would pick up the pieces and help her move on, once the inevitable happened. Because Mario and Angus belonged together. There was no way around that. No matter how long it took for them to realize it. And Malaya would make sure they got the happy end they deserved.

**5\. Ethan Willis**

 

Ethan hadn’t been at Angels Memorial for long. Not even a whole year. Yet, he had already found out how close everyone here seemed to be. The whole place didn’t feel like a work-place but more like a big, beautiful family. A family he never thought he would be a part of. A family he didn’t even _want_ to be a part of. Which was why he had tried his best to redeploy in the beginning.

 

Ethan wasn’t used to being close to anyone. He wasn’t used to letting anyone in. Letting anyone see the person he really was. He wasn’t used to open up to people about himself and his past. This place had changed that.

 

Ethan had always thought nothing would unite people more than serving in the army together, nothing would be more bonding than fighting a war together. How wrong he had been. Working at Angels Memorial had changed his whole perspective.

 

He had met people he now considered his friends, people he really cared about, people he trusted in a way he hadn’t thought was possible in such a short time. People like Will Campbell, who he had felt a connection to since right from the start – despite all their fighting. People like Mario Savetti, who reminded him so much of himself when he was younger that it was almost scary. People like Angus Leighton, whose smile could make a whole room light up, because he could say so much with just his eyes.

 

Angus had hated him in the beginning. Not that Ethan blamed him for it. In Angus’s eyes it had been his fault that his brother had fallen out of that helicopter and almost died. Ethan had felt so guilty about it that he hadn’t forgiven himself for that accident for the longest time. It hadn’t been a good way to start his job at Angels Memorial. Yet, it also had made Angus and him bond, once the first shock had worn off and Angus had been willing to accept that it _had_ happened and all they could do now was hope and pray. Ethan hadn’t felt as relieved as he had once it was clear Mike was going to be okay ever before. Unfortunately, though, it would take Mike longer than they thought to fully recover.

 

Ethan remembered the day he had left Angels Memorial – for now, because Ethan was sure he would be back eventually – because before he did, Ethan had had to give him his word that he would take care of Angus in his absence. And Ethan took that promise very seriously.

 

He had quickly realized that it also meant to look after Mario Savetti. Those two were inseparable most of the time. Their bond was much deeper than Ethan first thought, much deeper than meets the eye. Sure, they had disagreements – like everyone – sometimes they even fought, but in the end they would always make up. There hadn’t been a day – at least not recently – when they hadn’t left the hospital together, so that virus outbreak had really put a toll on both of them.

 

Ethan had watched Angus. Angus had been so strong on the outside, had tried to encourage everyone to not lose hope. His bravery and fighting spirit had been inspiring to Ethan. Not that he was someone to give up easily, but they had been unbelievably close to losing a lot more people than just Heather Pinkney. Angus had given him the necessary push to keep fighting, had probably given that push to everyone involved in finding the one person that had saved them all. Including Will and Jesse. Not that Jesse had needed much convincing anyway, but Angus’s tiredless efford to keep searching had made all the difference. He had dragged everyone with him and in the end they had won the battle.

 

There was still a battle Angus hadn’t won yet. The one that was going on deep inside of him. Ethan had no right to get involved in Angus’s personal business, but he had made a promise to Mike and he intended to keep it. Taking care of Angus – to Ethan – also meant to help him find his path. A path that would lead him to the happiness he deserved. The happiness he and Mario deserved.

 

It amazed him how two men _that_ smart could be so oblivious to what was happening between them. How they had been falling in love with each other for months – if not years – and not realize it themselves. Maybe they just needed a push in the right direction, and if Ethan was able to provide that, he would damn well do it. Just because he could.

 

**6\. Angus Leighton**

 

“This is beautiful,” Mario smiled happily when they were laying down on a blanket in the cargo area of Angus’s old pick-up truck.

 

When Ethan had told him Mario could leave the hospital – as long as he had someone to take care of him – Angus had immediately volunteered. Mario hadn’t wanted to go home, though, and so Angus had decided to show him one of his favourite places. He had wanted to bring Mario here for a long time. He just never had found the time to do so. He had found this place a while ago when he had just driven around aimlessly. It was a quiet, secluded area from which the city lights were visible beautifully at night. Or the stars, if one just laid down and looked up. Just like Mario and Angus did at that moment.

 

“You could have died...” Angus said quietly, staring up into the starry sky. His heart was pounding, just thinking about how close he had come to losing his best friend. Although Mario wasn’t just his best friend, and deep down he had known that for a long time. He just hadn’t been able to accept it. Because he was sure this realisation would only lead him to heartbreak and pain. He didn’t care about any of this right then, though. All he could think about was that Mario’s life could have ended without ever knowing what Angus had really felt for him.

 

“Yeah,” Mario said, turning his head to look at him. “I could have. But I knew you would find a way to save me. To save us all. And you did.”

 

Angus looked back at him. “Well... technically it was Campbell who found that one sample that made all the difference.”

 

“You didn’t give up on us. On me,” Mario replied.

 

Angus couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. “I would never give up on you. You should know that by now.”

 

“I do,” Mario agreed. “You’ve always had my back.”

 

“And I always will,” Angus promised. “No matter what happends, Mario, you will always be my best friend.”

 

“Just your best friend?” he heard Mario ask.

 

Angus stared at him wide-eyed. Had anyone noticed the way he looked at Mario sometimes and told on him? He had been sure to be subtle, but obviously not subtle enough.

 

Angus’s heart skipped a beat and his mouth went dry. He had no idea what to say in this moment, was absolutely terrified that this talk could lead Mario to end their friendship right there, right then. Not that he would blame him.

 

“I... Mario, I...” Angus sat up, taking a deep breath. He knew things like that had a habit of coming out in the worst possible moments, but maybe this moment wasn’t so bad after all. Maybe it was time to man up and deal with the consequences. He just hoped he would not lose Mario because he had unrequitted feelings for him. But that was the worst possible outcome. Maybe Mario would be cool with it, and maybe they could deal with it and move on. A lot of maybes, and Angus knew he would only get answers to his unuttered questions if he started talking.

 

Suddenly, Angus felt a warm hand on his cheek, instinctively closing his eyes.

 

“Angus, look at me,” Mario requested.

 

When Angus finally did, Mario’s face was amazingly close to his, their eyes locked on each other. Angus could even feel Mario’s warm breath on his cheek. He didn’t dare to move or speak, barely even breathed. He was scared all of this was a dream, none of it was real and when he woke up Mario would still be in that quarantine tent, fighting for his life.

 

Mario’s fingers stroking his cheekbone made everything much more real.

 

“This is not a dream, is it?” Angus breathed out, his voice barely audible.

 

“No,” Mario reassured him. “I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere. Angus, I’ve... I’ve been such an idiot. It took me almost dying and Noa kissing me to realize that she was just a substitute for the person I really want. Because I thought... No, I was sure I would never stand a chance with you.”

 

Angus swallowed hard. “What... what are you saying, Mario?”

 

A small smile appeared on Mario’s lips. “I need to spell it out for you, huh?”

 

Instead of an answer Angus just nodded.

 

“I’m in love with you, you idiot. I’ve probably been for a while, but I was too much of a coward to admit it. To myself and to you,” Mario blurted out.

 

For a moment there Angus just stared at him, unable to move.

 

“Say something, please,” Mario pulled him out of his thoughts. “If I just made a fool of myself, then...”

 

He didn’t get further, because Angus closed the small distance between them and pressed his mouth on Mario’s, pulling him into his arms. The moment their lips met felt like fireworks were exploding inside of Angus. Everything seemed to make sense suddenly, and it was like Angus had arrived at a destination he wasn’t even aware he was moving towards. It felt good. It felt right. It was everything he had ever wanted and more.

 

“Wait,” Mario pulled back abruptly, looking at him with a smirk on his lips. “Does that mean what I think it means?”

 

Angus rolled his eyes. “I need to spell it out for you, huh?” he repeated the exact words Mario had said before.

 

This time Mario nodded.

 

“I’m in love with you too. I was so scared you would die without ever knowing. It terrified me that I might never see you again.”

 

“But I’m here. And I’m fine...” Mario reassured him. Grabbing one of Angus’s hands he placed it on his chest. “See? I’m alive. I’m not going anywhere.”

 

“You better not,” Angus smiled. “Can we now go back to kissing?”

 

“You bet we can,” Mario laughed happily.

 

He wrapped his arms around Angus’s neck and placed his lips on Angus’s again, a lot more gentle than before. When he laid back he pulled Angus on top of him, and Angus willingly complied, just enjoying the moment. A moment that was just theirs. A moment he would remember forever. Because it was the beginning of their journey. A journey they would from now on experience together.

**Author's Note:**

> Well... that was an idea that I had for a while now and couldn't really shake off... and so I finally wrote it... BUT IT'S UNBETAED! Just so you know... ;-)
> 
> I hope it's not TOO bad... I just don't really have a beta-reader and whenever I tried to find one, I was unsuccessful, so I'm just posting it unbetaed, hoping it's read-able...
> 
> Also: I'm dedicating this fanfic to freaky_nea and fullfilling one of her prompts in my "drabble" post with it... although it's a LOT more than just a drabble... but that last part (Part VI so to speak) was what I initially wanted to do with that prompt... so now I made it a part of a "bigger picture"... ;-)
> 
> Her prompt was Mario/Angus, post season 2 finale btw. :P I think it fits!


End file.
